What You Need to Know If You’re Taking Statins to Lower Your Cholesterol

High cholesterol can harm your heart. But drastically reducing your levels isn’t the answer, either, new research from Israel suggests.

In the study, people taking cholesterol-lowering statins who had low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol levels between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) were significantly less likely to experience a heart issue like a heart attack or angina than people with levels between 100 and 130 mg/dL were.

But people who lowered their cholesterol to below 70 mg/dL didn’t achieve any additional reduction in risk.

Statins work by blocking an enzyme in your body that produces cholesterol. Too much of the sticky substance can build up in your arteries and form plaques, which can cause blockages that lead to heart attacks.

The meds also have an anti-inflammatory effect on your blood vessels, which can reduce incidence of plaque and improve heart muscle function. That helps lower heart risk, says lead study author Morton Leibowitz, M.D.

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